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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 23 |
| 1889 | 62 |
| 1891 | 24 |
| 1892 | 63 |
| 1893 | 98 |
| 1894 | 130 |
| 1895 | 146 |
546 stories matching fair
- A Fair Held 'To Spite Bennett': Tacoma Refuses to Be Killed Over Union Labor
Nelson Bennett attacked the Interstate Fair for hiring union workmen and nearly broke the enterprise. The trustees answer with a whoop: the fair goes on, and Seattle says it will stand by it.
- The Newspaper Tried to Boycott the Fair; the Fair Boycotted Back
When the Ledger moved to oust union man Jim Dow from the Interstate Fair, Tacoma's businessmen chose the fair over the paper.
- Tacoma Bets Its Future on a Giant Interstate Fair
In August 1891, Governor McGraw urged every county to send exhibits as Tacoma raced to open a fair that promised to fill hotels, showcase the Northwest, and put the city on the map.
- The Catholic Fair Turns a Profit
A week-long bazaar in the Tremont Building successfully raises funds for a new church, bolstered by competitive voting and clever marketing.
- The World's Fair Scandal
Thousands of copies of Washington's 'World's Fair History' vanish into thin air, leaving local binders unpaid and the state's reputation in jeopardy.
- The Fair Band Walked Out When the Pay Didn't Come
Fifteen Tacoma musicians said they quit the Interstate Fair band after management failed to arrange their wages — and they had brought players from Portland and Seattle at their own expense.
- Judge Langley Returns From the World's Fair
A local superior court judge brings back news of the Washington State building at the Chicago World's Fair and reports on a growing interest in western migration.
- Militia Hopes for World's Fair Trip
Washington National Guard members increase recruitment and drill intensity in anticipation of a potential trip to the Chicago World's Fair.
- The Blind Maestro and his Pullman Kid Band
A touching story of a blind conductor leading a boys' band in Pullman, destined for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.
- The Mystery of the Missing Prospector
A man headed to the World's Fair in Chicago disappears while walking from Skykomish to Snohomish, leaving behind uncollected funds and a trail of questions.
- The Customs Collector and the Straw Men of Puget Sound
A Tacoma official accuses Collector J. C. Saunders of padding the customs payroll with political workers—including a no-show inspector—for work never done at the Interstate Fair.
- Six "Extra Secretaries" and $60: How Seattle Paid Its Way Into the Tacoma Fair
A committee of Seattle boosters comes home from Tacoma with free space, free light and a free steamboat ride — then talks the city council into funding an exhibit through a bookkeeping dodge.
- Seattle and Tacoma Call a Truce for the Interstate Fair
A Tacoma delegation arrives in Seattle to plan a joint Seattle-Tacoma day at the fair, with city officials pledging exhibits, parades and a united front.
- The Fair Band Struck Over a Late Paycheck — and Management Wired San Francisco for Replacements
When the musicians' weekly wages arrived a day late, several players refused to perform; the trustees called it ingratitude, and a thirty-piece band from San Francisco was on the next train.
- A Fugitive in Seattle
An accused man passes through the city on his way to the World's Fair, recounting a daring escape from San Francisco police.
- The World's Fair Power Struggle
Washington's delegation to the Chicago World's Fair descends into a messy dispute over unpaid vouchers and administrative authority.
- World's Fair Commission Cleared of Dishonesty, But Spending Called Extravagant
A joint legislative committee finds no evidence of dishonesty in the World's Fair Commission, but criticizes excessive expenditures and recommends $50,000 more to finish the work.
- The World's Fair Statistical Fiasco
King County scrambled to prove its economic worth to the Chicago World’s Fair commission, while local officials grumbled about the impossibility of gathering honest numbers from suspicious business owners.
- Seattle's Streetcar Deal: Fair Terms or a Giveaway?
An 1895 editorial defends the city council's bargain with a private streetcar company, arguing that good service and future investment mattered more than squeezing out a quick profit.
- Seattle's Militia Plans for the World's Fair
Local guardsmen launch a private savings fund to finance their trip to the Chicago World's Fair.
- The Day Tacoma Painted Itself Blue, White and Yellow
A mile-long parade, camels, a captive elk and a senator's electric button opened the Interstate Fair in a burst of Northwest boosterism.
- German Dignitaries Shocked by Seattle's Sophistication
Members of the German Imperial Commission visiting the World's Fair dismiss European rumors that Seattle is a lawless, wild frontier.
- Tacoma’s Floating Border: 142 Chinese Passengers Ordered Back Aboard the Mogul
A Northern Pacific steamer brought 242 Chinese travelers to Tacoma in 1893. Collector Wesson admitted 100, stretched a World’s Fair loophole for 32 actors, and ordered the rest deported—while smugglers counted the cost.
- The Scandal of Washington’s World’s Fair Display
Corruption and petty politics in the state's executive committee leave Washington's resources unrepresented at the Chicago World's Fair.
- Brutal Waterfront Robbery Leaves Swedish Laborer Penniless
A night of drinking at a Washington Street saloon ended in a violent alleyway ambush that stunned the local community.